Statkraft and GreenPower have been awarded consent to construct and operate Carraig Gheal Wind Farm on the west coast of Scotland. The wind farm will comprise 20 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 60 MW. The yearly generation of clean, renewable energy will be equivalent to the demand of 32,000 homes.

Carraig Gheal wind farm will be built on land east of the town of Oban in Argyll and Bute, approximately 16 kilometres from the west coast. Construction of the Carraig Gheal Wind Farm is expected to start in 2009 and be operating by the end of 2010.

The application was submitted in 2004 by GreenPower (Carraig Gheal) Ltd, which is jointly and equally owned by Statkraft and GreenPower. The local Council gave its support to the project in 2006 and the Scottish Government has now granted approval for the construction of 20 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 60 MW.

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth John Swinney remarked: "Carraig Gheal Wind Farm will provide a significant amount of electricity used in Argyll and Bute's homes and is another step towards making Scotland the green energy capital of Europe."

The wind farm will be nearly three times as large as Blaengwen Wind Farm in Wales, for which Statkraft was granted a licence earlier in the year.

Managing Director of Statkraft UK, Eivind Torblaa, said: "Statkraft has set ambitious targets for its wind power operations, and Europe needs more renewable energy. The United Kingdom is a promising market, in particular due to the favourable wind and framework conditions."

GreenPower’s Chief Executive, Robert Forrest, said: “We are delighted with the Scottish Government’s decision to grant consent for the Carraig Gheal Wind Farm. As all the statutory consultees, including Argyll and Bute Council and Scottish Natural Heritage supported the project, we believe that the wind farm has been well designed and is sensitive to the local environment. With recent concerns over climate change, we are pleased that the project will contribute to the Scottish Government’s renewable energy target.”

The Statkraft Group is a European leader within renewable energy. The Group generates hydropower, wind power, gas power and district heating and is a major player on the European energy exchanges. In Norway the company supplies electricity and heat to around 600,000 customers through its shareholdings in other companies. In 2007 Statkraft posted a profit after tax of NOK 6.6 billion, and employed around 2,250 employees in ten countries. The world needs pure energy. This is what Statkraft delivers – every day.

GreenPower is an independent Scottish developer of wind and hydro projects, based in Alloa, Scotland with a portfolio of over 600MW, equivalent to some £600million of investment, in development. GreenPower received consent from the Scottish Government in January 2008 for its 68 turbine, 204 MW Griffin Wind Farm in Perthshire, Scotland.